1/72 Boeing 314 (Dixie Clipper), F.D.Roosevelt ship to Casablanca (1943), vacu

[JWM]

Hi,

Boeing 314 Clipper was constructed as luxury passenger airplane at late 1930s. Using this type Pan American company established first regular commmercial flights over northern Atlantic in May 1939. Twelve Clippers were constructed and they were impossed to military service during WWII as C-98. However, as I know, they never wore military insignias (I mean US white stars). Three of them were used in UK by BOAC during WWII. Each model 314 had individual name - the machine with registration NC 18605 had individual name "Dixie Clipper". Initial Pan-American silver painting on Clippers were replaced in 1942 with experimental 10-shades scheme of blue-grey colours.  Leter some  (or all?) US Clipers were painted to standard 3-shades Navy scheme, and at and of war, when returned to Pan Ameican they were stripped back to NMF.

 

Clippers were used for overseas civil (for example to Lisbon) and military transport, including VIPs. US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt used "Dixie Clipper" to get in January 1943 for a meeting in Casablanca with Winston Churchill and Charles De Gaulle. Josef Stalin was invited to this summit but did not arrived bacause of the situation on eastern front.

 

That is historical background of my build. The build thread is here:

 

When I've learnt as a 10 years old boy about 1970 from Airfix catalogue on existance of Clipper I was unhappy that the model is only in 1/144. Some years passed I started to think on Clipper seriously when Anigrand resin kit  appeared few years ago but a year ago a possibility of buying vacu kit of US company Combat Models from a colleugue from BM appeared. It was not so expensive as resin one so I was very happy that I've bought it and started gathering materials (photos, dravings) in aim to help in build.

 

This is mine third construction finished this year, two previous were Consolidated Coronado and Martin Mariner, both from Mach 2. So it is a trio of big US flying boats, but Clipper is much bigger then those two others, the wingspan is bigger from that of Blohm Voss BV 222! 

 

Here she is: 

 

 

 

Details

 

Scratch build trolley

 

And finally - among other models on shelves

 

Comments welcome

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

 

  

Edited April 3, 2019 by JWM
mispelling corrections

[John_W]

Impressive. Makes the B29 look small by comparison. Only ever seen the old Airfix 1/144, and that doesn't give an accurate impression of the scale.

[Spitfire31]

Elegant model of a beautiful machine.

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Buzby061]

Nicely done & a nice collection. 

 

Pete

[TheBaron]

Stunning paintworking on this Leviathan Jerzy.

[JWM]

Gents, I very grateful for your comments. One more photo pretending the water environment

 

 

Cheers

J-W

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by JWM

[occa]

Awesome convincing result, bravo bravissimo.

The scheme alone makes it an eye catcher not to speak of the size, you mastered another difficult kit

 

Now only could you return the kit to me ?

I need something that can present as being built, no will know it wasn't me haha

[JWM]

4 minutes ago, occa said:

Awesome convincing result, bravo bravissimo.

The scheme alone makes it an eye catcher not to speak of the size, you mastered another difficult kit

 

Now only could you return the kit to me ?

I need something that can present as being built, mo will know it wasn't me haha

Martin, thank you for selling the kit one day a year ago! The construction brought interesting experience - this is the biggest vac model I ever done and only I think 13th vacu I did in my life. I have more then such number waiting in stash. I am very glad from the result

I will have a duty trip to Vienna in not far future, I hope we will take a beer there!

Regards

J-W

 

[occa]

On 4/3/2019 at 10:55 PM, JWM said:

Martin, thank you for selling the kit one day a year ago! The construction brought interesting experience - this is the biggest vac model I ever done and only I think 13th vacu I did in my life. I have more then such number waiting in stash. I am very glad from the result

I will have a duty trip to Vienna in not far future, I hope we will take a beer there!

Regards

J-W

 

Sure, drop me a note in time

I think you have my email anyways, or PM me here

 

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Lovely job Jerzy, it has been great to follow your build. 

 

I would love to build one of these one day!

[TallBlondJohn]

Crikey she's a big girl! My 1/144 Clippers are the size of 1/72 Lancasters but your collection shows it so much better. Great to see it done JW and glad I could contribute in a small way. Nice detail of the blinds in the windows and great job on the trolley too given the lack of sources - maybe a little bulldozer one day to shift it across the case?

 

I do suspect the 'experimental' part of the scheme was 'just how cool can we make this plane look using an unlimited paint budget?' 🙂

[Jonners]

Awesome!

[Graeme H]

Excellent job, looks quite different in the multi blue camo

[kapam]

That's an awesome machine!

Your skill and determination are clearly on display.

Your collection looks amazing too!

[RidgeRunner]

A great build, Jerzy, and a great collection.

 

Martin

[Vesa Jussila]

Very nice work Sir! And knowing how challenging it's build large vacu kits.

[matti64]

Lovely model of a lovely Aircraft.   The size of  the model really brings out the  colour scheme.

[Alan P]

That is such an impressive build Jerzy! A massive achievement in every sense.

 

Really enjoyed the build thread as well, you and @TallBlondJohn provided some excellent references and insights into this subject.

 

Alan 

[stevej60]

A big beauty Jerzy,excellent paintwork on her,greatstuff!

[FAAMAN]

Just superb 😎

[Mark Joyce]

That scheme is quite stunning and very impressive!  Nice collection of builds you have there.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[tomprobert]

Having built a few Combat kits myself, I know the work that you have put into this to get the result you have - excellent stuff! 

 

The biggest compliment is to say that the finished model could easily br passed off as a good quality injection-moulded kit - it’s that good!

[JWM]

23 hours ago, John_W said:

Impressive. Makes the B29 look small by comparison. Only ever seen the old Airfix 1/144, and that doesn't give an accurate impression of the scale.

 

10 hours ago, matti64 said:

Lovely model of a lovely Aircraft.   The size of  the model really brings out the  colour scheme.

Thank you John and Matti  - I was also surprised by the size of model.  Clipper alon could be taken as mas

 

3 hours ago, Mark Joyce said:

That scheme is quite stunning and very impressive!  Nice collection of builds you have there.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

hine comparable to Sunderland or Coronado, but it is almost 50% bigger!

 

22 hours ago, Buzby061 said:

Nicely done & a nice collection. 

 

Pete

 

13 hours ago, kapam said:

That's an awesome machine!

Your skill and determination are clearly on display.

Your collection looks amazing too!

Thank you Pete and Kapam. Regarding collection - what is seen on above photos is a small part. The whole set is about 400 models. Some 80% of them were presented individually on RFI, despite fact that some are 45 years old. Let me just show whole set on photos below:

 

The above is spacial set of pre WWII machines: from Spanish Civil War and Sino-Japan War. On top shelf models not finished yet (in current work on)

The most of modern machines (above) were constructed by my son in his schooldays. The top shelf on above photo contains few of mine builds of modern machines  which survived from my schooldays ....

above are Soviet, Italian, Netehrland, Norway and Sweden  US second liners and Grummans as well as French machines

 

Above are Voughts, Vultee and Consolidated, Dorniers, Lockheeds, Set of Japanees,  Avros, Martins (Airfix Marauder waiting for repair of u/c), Boeings and Bells and Messerschmitts

 

Above mostly Republic,, North American. De Havillands, Hawkers, Vickers and Blackburns, HP, Supermarine, Miles, the rest of Japaneeese

Above set with mostly Douglases, Curtisses, Faireys, Westlands. Airspeeds AWs, Bristols, Heinkels, Junkerses and FWs....

The space slowly saturates....

 

I made those photo just to give impression of whole set - I apologize for reflections of light....

Cars and tanks on above also by my son.

20 hours ago, TallBlondJohn said:

Crikey she's a big girl! My 1/144 Clippers are the size of 1/72 Lancasters but your collection shows it so much better. Great to see it done JW and glad I could contribute in a small way. Nice detail of the blinds in the windows and great job on the trolley too given the lack of sources - maybe a little bulldozer one day to shift it across the case?

 

I do suspect the 'experimental' part of the scheme was 'just how cool can we make this plane look using an unlimited paint budget?' 🙂

Thank you John again for help  in construction! Maybe one day I will add buldozer... Who knows that?

 

 

 

I appeciete all commets very much, I am very glad that the you like the Clipper model as I do also

 

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

 

[Vinnie]

Wow, Jerzy. That is a stunner.👍

[invidia]

great looking model.